Door-operating mechanism



June 22 1926.

,. J. SNYDER ET AL' DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 3 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch '7, 1925 Inf 643f J4 y June 22 1926.

J. SNYDER ET AL noon OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 7,1925 gwuentcwj s/m r Patented June 22 1926,

' UNITED, STATES 1,589,439 PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE SNYDER AND JAMES Q. SNYDER, OF SALT LAkE CITY, UTAH.

nooa-ornaawme imcmxsu.

, Application filed larch 7, 1925 'Seria1 No. 18,828.

The present invention relates to a door operating mechanism and aims toprovide means whereby garage doors and the like may be convenientlyopened and closed by the operation of a switch for energizing anelectric motor.

A very important object of the invention is to provide a simple andefficient operating means for the door which will require little or noattention on the part of the operator, a mechanism which is botheflicient and reliable in operation, inexpensive to construct,

strong, durable, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which itis designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features ofconstruction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of the mech- .anismembodying the features of our invention. y

Figure 2 is an elevation of the rear portion of the operating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing therack 'frame and pinion.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section through the support for the rackframe.

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that a garage or anyother suitable building, room, for the like is shown at C rovided with adoor way in which are 'nged the doors A of any suitable design. Ateither the top or bottom of the garage there is disposed transverselythereof a supporting beam 1 having extending forwardly therefrom guidebars 2 in parallel spaced relationship. A rack frame .3 is providedwith'a continuous, series of internal teeth as is clearlyshown in Figure3, and is movable transversely across the beam 1 and between the bars 2,thereby being movable toward and away from the 'doorway of the garage.The forward end of the rack frame 3 is provided with a slot 5. in whichis engageable slidably an extension 6 of a'block 7. Pivot plates 8 aresupported on the block 7 and pivot pin 9 projects therethrough forpivotally engaging the rods 10 therewith. These rods 10 areformed insections-receivable in a sleeve 11 so'that the lengths thereof may bechanged as may be found necessary or desirable, depending upon the sizepivotally engaged as at 15 with the doors A. t

It will thus e seen that by moving the rack frame 3 toward and away fromthe door way the doors A may be swung to an open or closed position.

An electric .motor M is mounted on the beam 1 and its shaft 16 drivespinion 17 wh1ch meshes with a gear 18 on a shaft 19 mounted in a bracket20 fixed-to the beam 1 n any suitable manner. The end of the shaft 19carries a inioh 21 which meshes with the teeth of t e rack frame 3 forreciprocating' the same back and forth as previously indicated. Asupporting frame F lncludes an intermediate ortion 23 and arms 24extending perpendlcularly therefrom so ,that the supporting frame issubstantially U-shaped in formation. The arms 24 are provided withspaced guide fingers 25 between which the longitudinal edges of the rackframe 3 move: If, now., the motor M is energized, the pinion 21 will berotated and granting that itis meshing with the teeth on the upperlongitudinal inner edge of the rack frame, and, in F igure 3 is rotatingin a counter-clockwise irection, the rack frame 3 will be drawn awayfrom the door way so as to open the doors A. When the rack 21 reachesthe end of the rack frame, it will have a tendency to lift the same. Thesupportin frame 24 therefore, will also be lifted. Ve, therefore,provide a support 27 through which the intermediate portion 23 of theframe F 1s slidable. A spring pressed pawl 28 is pivoted on this support27 and one end thereof is engaged in either of the twb openings 29 forholding the frame F either in a raised or lowered position. The otherend of this pawl 28 is engageable with cams 30 and 31. In the example ofthe movement of the rack "just previously described, the cam 30 willengage the pawl 28 so as to release lower 0 ning 29. If in this positionthe motor is energized, and continues'to rotate the pinion 21 in thesame direction,

said pinion will be in mesh with the teeth -49 are embodied in a two wayon the lower inside longitudinal edge of the rack frame thereby moving.the same toward the door way and closing the door, it bein understoodthat the supporting frame will hold the rack frame in the raisedposition so that it will continue-to mesh with the pinion with the teethon its lower inside edge. When the rack moves forwardly so that thepinion 21 en ages the teeth at the rear end of the rack rame, the cam31' will engage the trip pawl 28so as to disengage it from the loweropening 29 and the rack frame will now lower so that a continuation ofthe motor would again move the rack frame rearwardl for opening thedoor.,

Two circuit c osers are mounted on the suppirt 27, one being designatedby the letter and the other b the letter Y. The circuit closer X inclues a stationary contact 31" and a movable contact 32 in the form of alever 33 fulcrum'ed at 34 on the standard 35 which supports the fixedcontact 31. A bolt 36 rises from the frame F and extends through an endof the lever 33 and has thereon a 'sp'rin 37 for erigaging the lever sothat when the frame 1s m its lowered position the circuit closer X isclosed. The circuit closer Y includes a fixed.

contact 39 a a movable contact 40 which is connected the movable contact33 b link 41 so that when circuit closer X 1s closed the circuit closerY is open and vice versa.

"Electric leads 43 and 44 are connected to any suitable source ofelectrical energy and hne 44 is connected with the motor as at 45. Twocontacts '46 and 47 are connected to. the line 43. Two contacts 48 andswitch of suitable construction with contacts 46 and 47, the switch armbeing shown at 50. A wire 51 leads from contact 48 to fixed contact 39and a wire 52 leads from contact 49 to fixed contact 31'. Wire 53 leadsfrom 'movable contact 32 to the motor at 54 and wire 55 leads frommovable contact 40 to.

the motor at 54. As shown in Figure 2 if the switch arm 50 is swung toengage contacts 46 and 49 a current will flow from the line 43, throughthe switch, through wire 52, -,switch X, wire 53, motor M, and returnedthrough line 44. This will energize the motor for rotating the pinion soas to move the rack. 3 rearwardly from the door 51, switch Y, wire 55,motor M, an return ,v mg frame, means for engagin through line 44,thereby again energizing the motor M and thus the rack will be movedforward for closing the doors A until the rack frame is lowered, thuscausing the spring 37 and bolt 36 to rock the lever 33 so as to open theswitch Y and close the switch X. It is evident that the wiring andoperation of the motor could be changed in various different wayswithout v departing from the spirit of the invention, and there- .fore,it is to be understod that the present embodiment of the invention hasbeen described merely by way of example. It is thought that theconstruction and operation as well as the advantages of the inventionwill now be clearly more detailed description thereof. It .is desired,however, to point out that numerous changes in the details ofconstruction, and in the combination and arrangement of arts may. beresorted to without departing om the spirit or scope of,the invention ashereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new is 1 1. In adoor operating mechanism, a sup port, a supporting frame slidable in thesupport, a rack frame slidable in the supportthe, rack frame with a doorto be operate thereby, a pinion meshing with the rack frame, meansoperable by the rack frame for holdin the supportin frame in a raised orlowered position so is at the pinion will be maintained in mesh with theteeth of the rack frame, a pair of switches mounted on the supportunderstood without a p and connected to be simultaneously operated so asto be alternately opened and closed a motor operatively associated withsaid pinion, circuits including said switches and said motor, wherebythe motor may be operated to rotate the pinion in one direction, andmeans on the supporting frame for operating the switches upon theraising and lowering of said supporting frame.

2. A door operating mechanismv including, in combination, a support, aU-shaped supporting frame having its intermediate portion slidable inthe support, said intermediate. portion of the sup orting frame beingprovided with a pair of spaced openings, a spring pressed dog on saidsupport engageable with said openings forholding the supporting frameeither in a raised or lowered position, a rack frame provided with acontinuous internal series of teeth, means for operatively connectingthe rack frame with a door to be operated thereby,

guide means on the ends of the suppprting ame for receiving the rackframe a pin- .ion meshing with said teeth of the rack frame forreciprocating said rack frame, and moving the same laterally of its pathof reciprocation, a motor operatively associated with the pinion, andmeans on the rack frame for engaging said dog so as to release the sameand allOW the supporting frame to move with the rack frame when saidrack frame moves in its transverse path, a pair of switches mounted onthe support and connected to be simultaneously operated so as to bealternately opened and closed, circuits including the switches and themotor, and means onv the supporting 1 frame for operatin the switchesupon the raising and lowerlng of the supporting frame.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signa tures.

JESSE SNYDER. JAMES Q. SNYDER.

